Back in Busan

Sorry for the delayed post. I didn't much feel like writing, but I knew that if I missed one week I'd start to fade out with these blogs, so I'm determined to write one for the past week despite being a few days late. So, last week was my recovery from the laser surgery. It was fine, and except for occasional dryness of the eyes, I've got no issues at all.

Saturday after work I went to Busan with my friend. We went to the beach for a while then saw Quantum of Solace. I could tell she couldn't follow it well because a lot of the movie depended on seeing Casino Royale, but she said it was okay. I found it to be interesting, but it had a higher degree of unrealistic behavior than I can forgive. Nevertheless it was entertaining. After the movie we went to a jjimjilbang to sleep. A jjimjilbang is a Korean bathhouse with separate areas for men and women. In the jjimjilbang there are several saunas, hot tubs, and shower rooms partitioned for each gender, and each of the floors are heated so you walk barefoot. I tried one of the saunas and found it to be pleasing. There's something quite enjoyable about walking around on heated floors and sitting on them and stretching out on them. Perhaps the most amusing part of staying in a jjimjilbang is the price: we each paid about $4.50 to stay for the night. The most unenjoyable part of the jjimjilbang experience is the men's area. When you pay to stay there, you are issued a pair of clothes that marks you as a guest of the facility. However, upon arriving at the men's area, I discovered that I was the only person actually wearing the clothes. The other fifteen or so men wore nothing. They watched TV together, enjoyed the various men's hot tubs, and just sat around chatting--all naked. In such a situation there is little to be done but endure, and when it came time to shower and use the facilities, I was forced to 'do as the Romans.' As initially awkward as it was, I quickly realized that no one else cared, or even noticed. They minded their own business, as this behavior was nothing out of the ordinary and has been standard since childhood. So when I had to take a shower in a large, open room surrounded by a dozen people, the discomfort drained away with the soap suds. Certainly an unusual experience...

We also saw a modern art exhibition while in Busan. It had many mind-boggling pieces, only 25% of which I could make any sense of. Around midday we ate a massive lunch meant that was categorized as "family size" but which we had little difficulty managing between the two of us. We also looked around at a few other places, and returned to Daegu at 7p. From the train station I walked to a bus stop and rode out to Kyungbook National University to meet my friend who was preparing for an English interview later on in the week, so by the time I got home at 11p, I was exhausted.

Monday I decided I needed to spend less time with her. The reasons are multifarious, so it suffices to report that we are still on excellent terms and still hang out, but not much. It was just best that we stay friends, and it was no problem. The last thing to report is that my coworkers found a website that has all The Simpson's episodes available for viewing, so I have enjoyed watching some of those in my free time. Good stuff. =)